Diary pages from this date

Dreadful headlines in Jap paper - the 'Lisbon Maru' which went down on 1st October was full of Hong Kong troops; supposedly 1,800 troops on board and 900 saved.  Old Horswell (late P.D.O. Dockyard)  said a 'Major M. Greenwood' among the missing; the rank could be mixed up, feel so sorry for Mrs G if it's her husband (he isn't a Major). Also a Lieut Wood is missing – I don't know if that's Joanie's husband. ((He was an officer in HK R.N.R. - but it wasn't he)).

Don't think Topper or Sid or Arthur would be classed as technicians (which we understood these troops were), but it's an awful doubt in everyone's mind.  Haven't told Mabel (still in hospital) about the ship but she's bound to know sooner or later - dreadful, because she's doing so well. ((Topper, Olive's fiance, was in R.A.; Sid (Royal Scots) was Mabel's boyfriend; Arthur (Royal Scots) a friend of mine.))

Xrays started again.

The Hongkong News carries a grim headline:

Hong Kong Prisoners On Torpedoed Vessel

Nearly Half Of Total Lost Through Action Of American Submarine

The article claims that the more than 900 British POWs who survived expressed 'chagrin' that their comrades lives had been lost through the action of an Allied power and 'gratitude' to the Japanese authorities for their treatment.

In reality the submarine Grouper didn't know the Lisbon Maru was carrying prisoners because, contrary to international convention, it wasn't marked as such and the Japanese battened down the hatches and shot prisoners who broke out as the ship slowly sunk. Chinese fishermen saved about 200 men, some swum to safety, while the Japanese eventually rescued the rest.

Barbara Anslow's diary for October 8 shows that the internees had got news of the sinking before they read today's paper.

Emily Hahn notes the reaction of the Allied civilians in town:

Hong Kong when the news came to us was a pit of horrible misery and the Japanese rubbed it in cruelly in the paper

Source:

Pit of misery: Emily Hahn, China To Me, 1986 ed., 409

Note:

For the story of the Lisbon Maru, see the Chronology for September 25, September 27, October 1 and October 6.

Valtorta visited Camp.

Desks and chairs brought in for school children

The news that finds its way into camp seems quite cheerful, both from the Eastern and Western theatres of operations. We have heard rumours that all prisoners of war are to be removed from HK and apparently some of the regulars have definitely left. I don’t know what this may mean; evidently something is afoot, but it seems that my hope of something happening at the end of September is not going to materialise. Now I am inclined to name a possible date as the end of the year and a more probable date as February or March of next year! Another winter here; what an appalling thought!

I hear from a perfectly sure source that the Hon. C.S. has written a letter to Otah (Head of all the Japanese prisoner camps in HK) saying that he (the C.S.) had supplied Mr Otah some time ago with the percentage of persons wishing to remain in HK and the percentage that wished to be repatriated. Since then, the C.S. had found that people had changed their views, due largely to reasons of health during the approaching winter, and that he would be glad if Mr Otah would do the courtesy of seeing him to discuss this question of repatriation. Well!  So the petition has had some effect; and it seems to me that our worthy Mr Gimson was just a little piqued by the voice of the rabble! At all events, it proves he is not just pig headed!

The camp is evidently still in disgrace for we have not yet been allowed to hold another concert. Both Y and I are due to appear in different numbers in this next concert - I’m sure the Japs have not been made aware of this! However, they have extended the date for bathing from the end of September to the end of October. At present the N.E. monsoon seems to be alternating with the S.W. (as it does at this time of the year) and for the last few days we have had cooler weather with winds of gale force and bathing has not attracted many people.

Last Thursday Y and I had yet another pleasant surprise. We hoped Devaux would send in some more of our clothes and sure enough he did. This parcel contained for Y: 3 cotton dresses (which she used to wear to the office) and her grey and chalk striped winter costume!  For me - a whitish or very light brown tropical summer suit and a brown winter suit! We were delighted, particularly with the two winter suits. It now makes us wonder what was in the half filled trunk. I certainly never imagined it contained any winter clothes. My brown suit is about my third best and has arrived without its waist coat, but it is in good condition and has years of hard wear in it. (At least I hope so). I hadn’t a suit before at all. I had two odd coats and two odd and very old pairs of trousers. Now all we need are shoes and some underclothes.

Camp women much upset by paper report of sinking of Lisbon Maru with loss of 900 HK prisoners of war. The report makes itself ridiculous in detail although perhaps the ship was lost with loss of life.

No news.

Well the blood count is now ever so much better Haemoglobin 62% and count up to 2,900,000 - so I am really on the mend.  I haven't got my proper injections yet either so when they come I'll soon shoot up to normal.  No word about you yet and I worry all the time - I can't sleep much and so I think of you all and the appalling mess  we have got into But will clear it all up some day.         All my love B.